A/N: Oh my goodness, I can't believe I'm posting the final two chapters! Apologies for the wait but real life got in the way and I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters. I do have new stories on the horizon though so make sure to follow me for more info!
I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you who took time out of your lives to read this story. As I've said previously, I came up with the concept during sleepless nights with my baby and writing this gave me a piece of myself back that I didn't know I was missing. I appreciate every single of you.
I have a collab story coming out in November with the incredible cullenlvr83, The Code of Swan~ be sure to set up our collab page on alerts: mafiamistresses
Thank you again and enjoy! PS: I don't own Twilight, just my plot and I'm not in law enforcement or a lawyer so creative license was taken.
"I'm sending them up, Mr. Masen." The security at the front desk alerted Edward that the authorities were on their way up.
Ever since Ted's suicide when Liz confession tapes were found, the authorities had been swarming Edward. As he was next of kin, any assets typically would have gone to him. That was if his foster father hadn't defaulted an entire company while trying to frame his brother-in-law in the process.
The circumstances were shitty, and Edward would evidently be left with nothing. Well, nothing that was acquired with Ted and Liz's dirty money.
Anything that was purchased with money from his trust fund or bought by Ted or Liz was about to be seized by the government.
All the lengths his adopted parents went through to have money and maintain a lifestyle that never satisfied them were for nothing.
He remembered how impressed he used to be by all the extravagance Liz and Ted exposed him to. Now the very same items sickened Edward.
All he saw now was what he almost lost as a consequence to being seduced by money and materialistic bullshit.
He vowed not to be swayed anymore—never again.
Edward looked around the apartment and saw Bella pouring Embry's food into his dish, and he couldn't help but smile. It was all so simple, but the little things meant the most to him.
His gaze wandered and he took in the mess of boxes scattered around the apartment. He and Bella had been packing things up, setting them aside to be sorted out by the officers. The kitchen countertop had stacks of bank statements and receipts showing proof of Edward's personal assets.
Felix had advised him to be prepared to prove he purchased whatever he wanted to keep with money rightfully earned from his employment at Masen Point. Thankfully, he was meticulous in his recordkeeping, so he had the documentation on hand for the few things he was interested in. Including the apartment.
Luckily, Edward had purchased it with his first big raise or else the SEC would have taken that too.
Despite being able to keep the apartment, Edward and Bella had decided to sell it. Being back there after the shooting made Bella uneasy. Every time she passed by his office, despite the door being firmly shut, she could recall finding him lying on the floor, blood coating his shirt.
Edward readily agreed, stating that it never felt like a home anyway. He wasn't sure why he hadn't realized it never would have because his home had always been with her, just as hers was with him.
They were planning to look for a new place together, something that would be theirs, but for the time being, Edward and Bella were going to stay with Alice at her apartment. Normally, they'd be concerned about it feeling crowded, but Alice spent every possible second with Jasper, so they would basically be on their own.
The elevator dinged, alerting them of their incoming company. Embry barked loudly, hating all the new people who were in and out of the place lately.
It was a blur of police officers, men in bomber jackets, assessing any valuables and collecting anything they knew was listed under Ted's assets.
"Sir?" the older, balding police officer asked, tapping Edward, who was lost in his thoughts.
Edward nodded in response, lifting his head to face him.
"We are going to need that painting." The officer pointed to Bella's artwork that hung in the foyer.
Edward shook his head and wordlessly rose from the bar stool where he was sitting, taking it all in.
He shuffled through the bank statements, searching for the withdrawal that matched Rosalie's receipt from the restaurant. Finding the one he needed, he handed it to the policeman, and then he ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. He wanted this all to be over and done with.
Scanning the paper quickly, he acknowledged Edward with a dip of his head. "Okay," the police officer commented, and then he went back to speaking to a guy in a suit, who was writing something on a clipboard.
Edward couldn't have given a shit if they took any of the other items in the apartment, but he'd be damned if they took Bella's painting. Well there was one other thing he'd fight them tooth and nail for. He hadn't seen the locket since the shooting, but it wasn't for lack of trying to find it. He had resigned himself to the fact that Tyler probably took it and hawked it prior to his arrest.
He was planning to call a few pawn shops both in New York and New Jersey to see if he could track it down.
Speaking of Tyler, he and Charlie had their days in court. Not surprising to anyone, Tyler already had a track record of run-ins with the police. Possession, robbery, petty theft were all charges he acquired way before his attack on Edward.
The district attorney went harder on him than Charlotte because of his priors and cocky attitude. He showed absolutely no remorse for his actions, or the fact that Edward had almost died. It didn't help matters that his public defender did the bare minimum in court.
Charlotte came clean and was repentant for her role in Edward's attack. While Charlotte tearfully recounted her involvement, Tyler sat back, smug smile on his face, even going so far as chuckling when she spoke about finding her brother unconscious and hanging on by a thread. The judge did not look on the bastard's behavior kindly at all, and Tyler had been given more than one warning about how inappropriate he was being.
Charlie worked with the police to find Tyler and obtain a confession. Aside from having to go over all the particulars of the robbery and shooting that took place at Edward's apartment, she had to recount the abuse Tyler had put her through. While painful to relive, it was necessary in order to establish the type of person Tyler was.
Tyler was sentenced to seven years in prison. The initial charges were robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, but when the police finally tracked him down, they found him with a lot more than a dime bag of weed, so they added one for possession with the intent to distribute.
Since Charlotte was still a minor at sixteen years old, her sentencing could have gone a few different ways. Seeing as she could have been charged as an adult for conspiring to robbery and an accomplice in an attack involving a deadly weapon, Rosalie hired the best defense attorney money could buy.
She had in her favor that this was her first offense, her prior record being squeaky clean. Then there was the fact that Edward had written a victim's statement to the district attorney's office, asking for leniency. As a result, Charlotte got a slap on the wrist, getting off lucky by only having to complete community service hours.
When the news had reached them, Bella was torn. Sure she didn't want Charlotte to rot in jail, but a part of her wanted her to feel the same pain she felt when Edward was lying in that hospital bed. She wanted her to know what it felt to have a part of your soul torn away in an instant. Understanding her motives wasn't something Bella saw herself easily doing.
For both of their sakes, Bella decided to keep a healthy distance between them, but she wasn't going to discourage Edward from having a relationship with her if he chose. She just wasn't ready to forgive the unforgivable yet. If she could ever somehow come to forgive Charlotte that was.
Maybe therapy would get her there.
Bella and Edward had started attending therapy a few months ago. They settled on going once a week separately and twice a month as a couple. It had really helped their communication and allowed them to set boundaries with one another.
Their therapist, Dr. Phil—they both laughed at the name when he told them to call him that, but he took it in stride since it wasn't the first time he'd gotten the reaction to the name—Dr. Phil Dwyer was helpful and insightful. From their very first session, he could spot the codependency between the pair. It was a consequence of their rocky upbringing, and he pointed out that it had the potential to cause many more problems if they both didn't consciously work on their individual issues. He told them that the best way for them to grow stronger as a couple was to work on being able to stand more firmly on their own two feet.
The thought of being without each other gave them pause. They hadn't realized how relying on each other as much as they had in the past had ultimately been what had torn them apart. Committed to overcoming anything that could put a wedge between them again, Bella and Edward put in the hard work week after week, tackling the difficult conversations that they had avoided in the past.
Therapy wasn't a magical fix for their issues. No, quite the opposite. Going to therapy made them face things that were sometimes too tough to face on their own. Without Phil and his guidance, many problems would have been shoved under the rug until there was no room left to hide.
They spoke about all the grievances that plagued them deep inside. Bella shared how much Edward not fighting for her had cut deep. They rehashed the horrible things he said to her and her bitterness over his constant worship of his adopted family. Her resentment toward Edward and his sudden wealth. She broke down and told him how angry she was that she was sleeping in shelters while he was living the high life. It had been painful to go into details about how she felt learning he'd screwed Tanya, the person who encompassed everything Bella hated. Everything she wasn't and would never be. He had been caught off guard by that admission since she had seemed to be okay with it when he'd told her, but this was part of the reason they needed to be in therapy. They had both gotten really good at shielding the other from their true feelings, playing pretend in order to protect the other constantly.
Bella wasn't the only one who got things off her chest. Edward shared how he felt neglected and shut out by Bella after he was adopted. They worked through how hard it was for him to overcome his childhood wounds, the burns. In their sessions, Phil helped dissect the manipulation he was subjected to from a young age by his adopted family. Edward explained why he spoke out in desperation all those years ago, when he yearned for her love and support. He detailed his guilt and disgust for the wrongdoings and bad choices he'd made along the way, including sleeping with Tanya and not showing Bella sooner that she was enough or speaking his mind about his needs before they came to a head.
Many times after one of them got home from a session, or even during a joint session, there were fights, tears, yelling, breakthroughs, and breakdowns. Then there was a tenderness only they both knew how to give the other.
Life was complicated. Messy, imperfect, real. Sometimes really shitty, but also sometimes really magical. They made the mistake of pretending once before, and it had gotten them nowhere. Now they had to work to get to a better place. A healthier place.
They both have been through so much in their twenty-three years. If they had any chance at a long-term future together, every day would be an effort toward better.
Ring ring. Bella sheepishly ducked out of the police-filled room to answer her cell phone. Edward smirked to himself, finding it funny that Bella was getting out of this madness.
"Mr. Masen, we are just about done here. The contents of the safe will be collected later by the county clerk's office and then prepared for transport. Otherwise, we will start clearing the place out," one of the men in suits alerted Edward, who was still in a daze.
Edward nodded. There was not much else he could do. It was all surreal, like he was watching from an outsider's perspective. And in many ways, he was. He was watching as Bella had all those years ago. Helpless to it all. All she could do was watch the changes happen.
The only difference was Edward wasn't losing anything he wasn't willing to give up.
Time passed slowly for Edward. "Almost done" felt like it was in slow motion, but soon the apartment was a bare shell of what it once was. It looked empty, cold, and sterile. Much like Edward's life without Bella.
The realtor was coming to show prospective buyers the apartment later in the week, so it was probably for the best that the place was cleared out.
Change was good. A fresh start, Edward reminded himself.
Bella reentered the room a little while later. She hadn't returned since she'd left to take her phone call. Edward had figured that she was hiding from all the commotion.
When Bella sauntered over to the kitchen counter where Edward was eating a bowl of cereal—no point in grocery shopping when they planned to be out of there soon enough—he gave her a cheeky grin. One-track mind of his was no doubt wanting to christen the apartment a few more times before heading over to Bella and Alice's apartment.
She looked at him and bit the inside of her cheek, then she turned away. Edward frowned. He thought they were moving past this nervousness to speak freely.
He set down his spoon, touched her on her shoulder so she'd face him again, and took her hands. "What's the matter, baby?" Edward questioned, assessing her expression.
Bella inhaled a deep breath. "It's nothing bad. It's just that—that was Marcus," she started, smiling softly to herself. "He wants to make me one of his in-house artists. My art would be exclusive to his gallery, and I'd make a higher commission." Bella laughed in disbelief. Phil would have a field day unpacking her reaction to the happy news.
Bella was what he liked to call a 'doomsday prepper.' Who could blame her? Good things didn't often come to Bella. Now that her luck was turning around, she had a tendency to wait for the other shoe to drop.
Edward gave her an innocent peck on the mouth. "That's amazing! When do you need to give him new pieces?"
Bella became embarrassed, and she looked anywhere but at Edward's expectant eyes.
"Bella?" he inquired, hesitant.
Sure, she had sold Marcus a few pieces here and there throughout the last few months, but nothing of this magnitude.
"I didn't tell him yes yet," she whispered, inhaling sharply.
Embry must have sensed her energy because he came over to sit at her feet. She ruffled his fur, and Edward waited for her to give an explanation for not jumping at this huge and exciting opportunity.
"Why would you wait on something like that?" Edward furrowed his eyebrows. This was her dream come true—why wouldn't she jump on this opportunity?
Bella cast her eyes downward, unable to meet Edward's hopeful stare.
"I don't know. I guess I just don't feel confident or good enough to accept this amazing job." She picked at her fingernails, much like when she was a child and was scared.
Edward stood and embraced her in a bear hug, resting his chin on her head. "Baby, you are worthy of good things. Remember what Phil said? We deserve good. You deserve good. You are the creator of your life. Not me, nobody, but you," he recited, hoping he wasn't pushing her too far.
Bella nodded against his chest, knowing what he was saying was true. She yearned to say yes and not always make everything such a production, but she was a work in progress.
She pulled away slightly, staring up into his eyes. "I'll give him a call back," she said with a slight upturn of her lips, and she stepped back, making her way to the master bedroom, a newfound skip in her step.
Edward rolled his eyes and smiled brightly, proud of her and the progress he was seeing play out right before his eyes.
"Do you have any idea how much Caius has whined without Embry here?" Alice informed, with mild irritation evident in her tone. She walked from the kitchen to her bedroom, huffing the whole time.
Once she was back in their eyeline, Edward held his hands up. "Al, relax they won't be apart for a while now."
Alice pursed her lips and rolled her eyes once she saw Edward's reaction to her annoyance. Truthfully, Alice was on edge. Her hearing with the judge for her custody case was looming and she was so nervous.
Maria had expressed to the court how she wanted to live with her mom in the city. Alice had checked every box and crossed every T with proof of her being responsible and worthy of full custody. Letters were sent from her friends as character witnesses as well. Even her parents commented on the positive changes they saw in their daughter. Ultimately, it came down to the court and the judge's decision.
Alice was afraid to even imagine what it would be like to have her daughter in her life full time because she didn't want to get her hopes up. This was all she'd ever wanted.
Everything in her life was finally falling into place.
Jasper had become a pillar of support and strength for her these past few months. Their whirlwind romance was going strong, and Jasper had started to convert his office into a bedroom for Maria. He intended to ask Alice to officially move in once she gained full custody.
"Yeah, yeah, what if you two Jersey kids find a house tomorrow?" she inquired, crossing her arms. Now she was just being stubborn.
"In this market?" Bella admonished, petting Caius. She'd finally caved to giving the demon cat a chance.
Edward snorted and said, "You're also forgetting that my apartment hasn't sold, and I'm jobless, so until that money comes in, I'm broke."
The real estate agent assured Edward it would be a quick sell, but he remained unconvinced.
Bella caressed his cheek and laughed. "Oh you're not broke, honey. I'll be your sugar mama with my big fat check from Marcus."
Alice resisted the urge to laugh, still too keyed-up to relax. She huffed once more and walked away to finish getting the cats settled for the night.
Edward and Bella cuddled on the couch, surrounded by the animals and a crazy Alice. What a world!
They couldn't help but think how lucky they were.
"I can't believe the apartment sold so quickly," Bella commented as she looked around the bare walls of the apartment. The movers did a fast job of getting their stuff out of there. Not that there was much for them to take after the raid.
"Yeah, it's a sign I accepted too low of an offer," Edward joked, as he inhaled a deep breath.
They came to say goodbye to the place where they rekindled their love. A place that housed Edward through lonely times. A place that held memories they would rather move on from.
Bella took a bite of the ice cream cone that Edward got from the truck around the corner. Mid-bite, she spilled one of the scoops on the floor. She frowned, licking her lips.
Edward was closest to the paper towels on the counter, so he crouched down to clean up the mess. As he was wiping chocolate ice cream off the floor, something shiny caught his eye from underneath the refrigerator. Edward set down the paper towels and lay on the floor to examine it further.
Bella looked at him questioningly, thinking he'd full-on lost it.
Edward gasped and reached his fingers farther under the fridge to grasp what had caught his attention. There it was between the dust bunnies and a stale piece of toast—the locket.
Bella's locket. It would only ever belong to her.
Edward laughed and shook his head. He held it up and looked at Bella, who was wide-eyed in disbelief.
She'd thought it was lost forever after tossing it aside in Edward's car all those years ago. Edward didn't share how he kept it ever since. He certainly didn't share what he engraved inside either.
"Wow. You kept it?" Bella asked, stunned.
Edward nodded once. "Yes." He smiled to himself as he thought of the secret engraving.
"I had always hoped things would turn out okay in the end," he admitted, still kneeling on the kitchen floor.
"Just okay?" Bella scolded, making a pretend pouting face.
"Well, it will only be okay depending on your answer to my question," Edward shared as Bella furrowed her eyebrows.
He placed the locket in her hand and muttered, "Open it."
Finally he gave her the green light to open the locket and see the engraving it mysteriously held.
Tentatively, she opened the locket, taking in the words he'd so carefully chosen at such a young age, words that he felt more each day. Bella's eyes widened and then the tears fell. Edward felt like he had the wind knocked out of him. It was worse than being shot.
He thought there would be no time like the present. Edward would never want anyone more than Bella. They were working through their traumas and were in love. Why was she this upset?
"Bella?" he questioned. His stomach was turning, thinking of the rejection that might come.
Bella nodded. "Yes," she whispered softly, blinking through the tears to see his beautiful green eyes shimmering up at her.
"Yes?" he confirmed, taking her hand in his. Edward cursed himself for not getting a ring, but he wanted her to pick it out herself. Bella deserved to make her own choices.
Bella nodded and tackled him much like that fateful day when they first met in Jessica's kitchen.
"I get to stay with you forever that means." She laughed, thinking back to their first encounter.
Edward pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back roughly and began ripping off his clothes. He quickly helped her out of her own. She straddled him, sinking down on him, moaning as she did. Edward threw his head back in pleasure.
Rolling around having kitchen floor sex—what a way to make things come full circle.
As the two lovebirds basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking, still on the kitchen floor, their phones simultaneously pinged, alerting them of incoming text messages.
Bella's phone was closest, nestled in her jeans pocket under Edward's left leg. She opened the home screen and saw a group text from Emmett.
"Holy shit!" She gasped, looking at Edward.
He grabbed the phone from her hand and saw the shocking message. It was a birth announcement featuring a picture of a stork carrying a baby. In bright pink font, it read 'it's a girl.'
Bella did the math and there was no way Rosalie could have been pregnant, let alone have given birth already. She was wearing a skin-tight dress just last week for god's sake.
Edward dialed Emmett's number from Bella's phone as he sat up from the floor.
"Hello, proud daddy speaking." It was obvious by the way his tone echoed joyously through the speakerphone that Emmett was beaming with pride over his new role.
"What the hell is this, Em?" Edward demanded, what was he talking about?
"Is that any way to speak in front of my new daughter? You're on the carphone," he scolded, making a tsking sound.
"Daughter?" Bella inquired, trying to make sense of the whole thing.
"Yes, our daughter. Well, soon-to-be anyways," Rosalie chimed in, sounding happier than ever.
"What?" Edward started but was quickly cut off by none other than Charlotte.
"Yes, Eddie. I'm getting adopted by these two suckers," Charlie said giddily. He could sense her excitement over the phone.
"Well, first, we have to foster you, you know that, Charlotte, but if all goes well and your good behavior continues, the case worker said he sees no interference coming our way," Rosalie explained. "And don't ever dare call me a sucker again." She spoke in the same no-nonsense manner that she often did at the restaurant.
"Yes, ma'am, or should I say Mom?" Charlie chuckled, and then the pair heard a slapping sound.
"That's my girl," Emmett said, no doubt giving Charlotte a high five.
Rosalie now had two crazies to torture her, but she wouldn't complain. In fact, she loved it. This was what life was supposed to like. Fun. Silly. Lighthearted.
Part of the reason Rosalie and Emmett had married so quickly was they intended to adopt Charlotte. They needed every bit of security they could get. Rosalie's finances were in a good place. Emmett had a solid education and savings. On paper, they were great candidates for being foster parents, which was how they would have to start in their process to make Charlie a permanent part of their family.
Rosalie didn't even want kids before meeting Charlotte. She realized it was because it wasn't just any kid that should be hers; she wanted Charlie. How lucky was she to get to pick the perfect kid for her? The teen was practically a mini Emmett, so he was automatically sold.
Edward and Bella looked at each other taken aback.
"Congratulations!" Edward bellowed, so happy Charlotte was finally getting the family she deserved. A good, solid family.
Best part was they were some of the most important people in his life. He knew there was nobody better for his sister.
"Oh, Alice is calling back, no doubt she was being gaga over Vet Boy. I'll call you back," Rosalie mumbled quickly, and the line clicked over.
"Wow." Bella took a deep breath, realizing she didn't congratulate Charlotte on getting a family.
As mad as she was at the girl who she once considered a sister, she couldn't not congratulate her on what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life.
Bella looked at Edward, swaying a little as she grabbed the phone from him.
"What's wrong?" he asked, not getting a response.
Bella typed a message on her phone and let him read it before sending it.
Congratulations!
She added a red heart emoji at the last second. She wasn't quite ready to forgive Charlie, or to vocalize the love she knew she still had for her sister, so this would have to be enough for now. The ice was thawing around Bella's heart, and while Bella and Charlie would never be what they once were, given this new information, now she was an unavoidable part of her life.
Bella needed to make peace, not for Charlie's sake but for her own. Holding onto the hatred she had for Charlie wasn't only hurting Charlotte, it was hurting herself, which subsequently hurt her relationship with Edward and all those around her she loved.
Part of working on herself was noticing these mistakes and making a positive difference.
After all, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results was the definition of insanity. Except when it came to tackling a green-eyed boy in a kitchen.
You do that over and over again. Forever.
Let me know your thoughts and go read next chapter. The grand finale.